Improvement in pneumatic engines



J. vR. REMINGTON.

PNEUMATIC ENGINE.

Ne -2,637. Patented May 26, 1842.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JoHN" R. REMINGTON, OFwABERF OI L, ALABAMA.

IIMPROVEM ENT IN PNEUMATIC ENGKINES.

Specifioation'forming part of- Letters Patent No. 2,637, dated May 26, 1842.

To all whom it-maycoiwerrt: Be it known that I, JOHN R. REMINGTON, of Aberfoil, in the county of Bullock and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Engines for Propelling Boats and other Machinery, which is (1escribed as follows, reference being had to the annexeddrawings of the same, makingpart of this specification. I

' Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the fire-box, exhauster, receiver, cylinder, reservoirs, and pipes. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionlthrough the cylindersf Fig. 3 is abirds-eye or top view. Similar letters refer to corresponding parts. The nature of my invention and improvement consists in giving motion to machinery by alternately producing partial vacuums in two horizontal parallel cylinders in which the pistons alternately move from one end to the other by atmospheric pressure and the momentum of the fly-wheel, said vacuums being produced by heat generated in a fire-box opening into a large exhauster communicating with the said cylinders by means of areceiver placed between the exhauster and ends of the cylinder, and with which they'allcommunicateby openings provided with valves opened and shut alternately.

LQTO enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to dee scribe its construction and operation.

-1 construct a large cylinder A, called the exhauster, having a conical, spherical, or convex top, with an aperture and valve B at the apex, the valve opening upward into a tube or pipe T for allowing the rarefied airto escape. The exhauster rests upon a fire-box or heat-generator 0,0f a cylindrical or other form, with a conical or spherical or other convex top, with an aperture in-the apex opening into the exhausterA,whic-h aperture is opened or closed by a valve W, opening upwardinto the exhausterby means of connecting-rods a b c d, connectedto the working parts of the englue in anyconvenient manner for opening and closingsaid valve at stated intervals for the purpose of admitting heat from the fire box 0 into the exhauster A "to rarefy the air therein or drive it out of the exhauster by'an explosion to be produced by gunpowder, or by theunion of hydrogen and oxygen gases and fire, or by any other suitable means whereby the vacuum maybe produced in said exhauster. I

The rods a b 011 for opening and shutting the valve W are attached to the cam-rod K, which is attached to the fiy-whecl J. Rod a is attached to the under side of valveW and extends downv through the bottom of the fire box 0 a convenientdistance, where it is connected with a short rod b, which isconnected :to a vibrating rod c,'which vibrates on the fulcrum 19, said vibrating rod 0, being connected to the cam-rod K bya connecting-rod d, so that as the fly-wheel revolves it moves the cam-rod It, and this thevalve W by the connection of rods ab 0 d, before described.

Thecanrrod K is provided with an oblong mortise or slot w (represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1) to allow the'cam-rod to play back and forth over a wrist-pin or arm m, inserted into the side of the balance-wheel J, fort-he purpose-of regulating the operation of the valves by means of the application of gage- .blocks in said mortise w.

A and the ends of the cylinders D, commnnicatin g with both by suitable apertures opened and closed alternately by suitable valves M Q. The Tvalves M M, which are in the ends of the cylinders D, (see Fig. 2,) are connected with other valves E E placed over openings in the sides of the cylinders, by rods ea in such manner that when valve Mis opened it closes val'v'e E, and vice versa, the opening and shutting of said valves being effected by mansof two L-shaped elbows attached to the valves E by rods f, and to a vibrating beam F,- vibrating on a center or fulcrum g, bya connection of rods K m and elbow N, said elbow N vibratingon a fulcrum q in a post orother convenient place'by means of the connecting-rod m3, attached to the lower end of the perpendicular arm of the elbow N and. to the cam-rod K, so that as the cam jrod K moves the elbow N is vibrated on the fulcrum q, and said elbow, by means of its connection with the vibrating beam F, causes each cylinder move simultaneously, one opening andthe other closing, by. means of the aforesaid connection, and the vibrating of the beam F on the fulcrum g by the elbow N,

connected to the cam-rod K by the rod m The valve Q is at the end of the horizontal pipe P, which connects the receiver and exnauster and opens inside the exhauster for allowing the air to pass from the receiver 0 into the exhauster A, in which the partial vacuum is produced.

A- water-,vessel R for containing water is placed over the receiver 0, having a pipe Z 111 the bottom of the same leading into the exhauster Afor the purpose of conducting water into the said exhauster A.

The admission of the water from the watervessel- R into the exhauster A through the pipe Z isgoverned by a valve S at the'end of the pipe Z, connected to the working part-of the engine bya rod h in any convenient manner known to the mechanic. This water is introduced for the purpose of condensing what air may remain in the exhauster after the main body of it is driven out through the valve B for producing a more perfect vacuum.

The cylinders D D in which the pistons Gwork, are made of sufiicient size and strength and connected with theair-receiver in the way hereinafter described in any convenient manner, and areplaced parallel with each other, being each provided-with three aper tures-namely, first, '5, in the head for admitting atmospheric air for driving the piston through the vacuum; the second, E", for admitting the same description of air] into the space in which the vacuum is formed on the return of the piston to produce an equilibrium, and the third, m, for letting the air into the receiver 0.

The apertures m for allowing the. cold air to escape from the cylinders D D into the receiver 0, and from thence to pass into the exhatisteryA, are made in'the ends of the cylinder attachedto the receiver 0, and are,

opened and closed alternately by the valves M M, when the pistons are at the opposite ends orheads of the-cylinders, by means of the connection ofrods and elbows before de-' scribed, said valves M being made to turnon pins against the inside of the heads and the valves E against the-outside of the cylinders near the ends thereof.

The apertures E for admitting cold air to the cylinders to produce an equal pressure on the side of, the piston next the receiver with.

that of the opposite side or next the heads of the cylinders are made in the sides of the cylinders near theireuds, which are connected with the receiver 0. ternately closed by the valves E, E' when the apertures M are open, One of the side ap-- ertures E is open while! the other aperture E is closed.

The apertures t' in the heads are always open for allowing the air to enter and drive the pistons to'the-bottom of the cylinders and to escape on the return of the pistons.

The pistons G are connected to the crankshaft I by'means of the piston-rod'H and connecting-rods I-Fin the usual manner of constructing air and steam engines.

The fly-wheel J is placed on the crank-shaft in the usual manner.

The. cam-rod K is attached tothe crank shaft I and operates the several valves by means of the connecting-rods, vibrating-beam, and elbows, before mentioned, arranged in the manner before described, or in any convenient manner. a V

The cylinders should beprovided at their ends next the air-receiver withcircular perforated flanges for bolting them to the side of the said air-receiver, and with similar flanges at the opposite ends, to which the heads are bolted;

The fire-box 0 should be made water-tight to contain-water and the air-tubes bent so as to prevent its escape.

The composition to be put into the water in the fire-box O forraising the heat for-the exhauster' need not be described, as this will form the subject of another patent.

'Whenthe valve E is open, as represented in Fig. 2, and the valve M c]osed,the external air will rush into the :vacuum' in the cylinder These apertures are al- D and produce'an equilibrium, themomen tum of the fiy-wheel'J carrying-the piston G tothe connection of the fiywheelwith the crankshaft, and this'with the piston, as represented in Figs. land 3, and at the same time closing valve E? of cylinderD and opening valve M which will suder the cold air. in cylinder 1) to rush into the heated exhausterA through receiver C, leaving a partial vacuum' in said cylinder D through which the piston'of said cyl: inder is instantly forced toward the end of the cylinder next the receiver 0 by the pressure of the external air admitted through the aper tures t inthe head of the cylinder, and when valve E is closed and the valve M open valve E will at the same time be open and valve M will be closed, and piston G willbe in the position that the first-mentioned piston G was innamely, near the head of the'lcylinder and so on alternately, the alternate opening and closing of the valves being efiected by means of the cran k-shaft I, cam-rod K and connecting-rodmi elbow N and walking-beam F,

elbowsLandco'nnecting-rodsefiinthe manner before described, the vacuum being produced by the exhaustion of the air in the cylinders ward the head of the cylinderby meansof" through the intervention of the receiver 0 and cxhauster Ain the manner herein described, the air from the cylinders passing first into the receiver 0 and from thence into the exhauster A, forcing open the valve Q by'its elasticity and entering exhauster A, from whence it is driven by any suitable agent.

admitted through the fire-box 0, as before described. o

I do not claim to be the inventor of the principle of giving a reciprocating movement to a-piston in a cylinder bya vacuum and atmospheric pressure; but

What I do claim as my invention, and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' The before-described combination of the exhauster A with the fire-box 0, air-receiver 0, cylinders D, and pistons 'G, and the several valves, connecting-rods, cranks, and-elbows for opening and shutting the valves and operating the pistons. as herein set forth."

JOHN R. REMINGTON. Witnesses:

SAMUEL O. COWAN, ROBT. K. NICHOLS. 

